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From 1958 to 1960 Vice Admiral William Wohlsen Behrens, Jr. was assigned to the Construction and Commissioning of the Skipjack (SS-585). Commander Behrens was her first Commanding Officer.

Photo courtesy of the Behrens family & submitted by Bill Gonyo.

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Skipjack (SS-585) about to slide down the launching ways at General Dynamics Corp., Electric Boat Division, Groton, CT., 26 May 1958.I believe the Scorpion (SSN-589) is under construction on the right.

Front & back sides of a post card view of Skipjack (SS-585) riding the waves, circa early 1960's.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Becher.

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Halfbeak (SS-352), (second from right) immediately astern of Fulton (AS-11) at the Connecticut State Pier, New London, CT. Other submarines astern of Fulton, include (far right) Nautilus (SSN-571), (third from right) Bang (SS-385), and outboard of Bang , (fourth from right) is Tusk (SS-426). Moored to Fulton's starboard side are three additional submarines. The outboard boat on the starboard side is the Skipjack (SSN-585) & the other two are unidentified.

Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel. Official USN photo # DN-ST-85-11655, by Don S. Montgomery, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.

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Skipjack (SS-585) passing under the Golden Gate Bridge in late January 1983 after her overhaul at Mare Island.

USN photo courtesy of Jim Stats and submitted by Darryl L. Baker.

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Capt Charles Eugene Ellis is a native of Texas. After receiving a draft notice, he enlisted in the Navy in November 1961. He later attended the University of Texas at Austin under the Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was commissioned after completing Officer Candidate School. Capt. Ellis served in a variety of submarine billets, including command of Skipjack (SS-585) [ 10 April 1985 – 11 July 1985], Louisville (SSN-724) [8 November 1986 – 24 April 1987] and L.Y. Spear (AS-36) [30 June 1989 - 2 March 1991]. His duty ashore included a tour on the staff of Submarine Group FIVE, during which he earned a Master of Science Degree from Chapman University and a tour as Commanding Officer of Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, GA from which he retired in December 1992. Capt. Ellis was employed as Provost of a Distant Learning Center of Georgia Military College until October 1997. His decorations and awards include: Legion of Merit with 2 Stars, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Stars, Navy Commendation Medal with 2 Stars, Navy Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation with 2 Stars, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 3 Bronze Stars, National Defense Service Medal with 1 Star, Good Conduct Medal and Navy "E" Ribbon.

Biography courtesy of the American LegionUSN photo # DN-SN-82-06068, courtesy of Bill Gonyo.

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The Orion (AS-18) and two of her charges at La Maddalena Italy, August 1987: Trepang (SSN-674) inboard of the Skipjack (SSN-585).

Photo courtesy of Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.

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The nuclear-powered attack submarine Skipjack (SS-585) waits ahead of the Guided missle destroyer Sampson (DDG-10) in a lock as the two ships transit the Panama Canal on 21 Jun 1989.

Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-08470, by PH2(AC) Scott M. Allen, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil. Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel.

Official USN photo # DN-ST-95-01863, by Calvin Larsen, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil. Photo i.d. courtesy of David Johnston (USN).

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"Sign of the times." March 1994 photo of Nuclear submarines at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard waiting in line for scrapping. Top row left to right are Ethan Allen (SSBN-608), Seawolf (SSN-575), Plunger (SSN-595), Shark (SSN-591), Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636), Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) alongside Sperry (AS-12), with Triton (SSRN-586) across the pier from the Sperry . Bottom row, from left to right Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610), Skipjack (SS-585), Snook (SSN-592), Henry Clay (SSBN-625), Lapon (SSN-661), Dace (SSN-607), Skate (SSN-578), Swordfish (SSN-579), Sargo (SSN-583) , Seadragon (SSN-584). Across the pier are Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618), and not in view, Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), George Washington (SSBN-598),Barb (SSN-596) & Sea Devil (SSN-664). There are so many submarines at PSNSY that the yard is running out of pier space.

Courtesy of Jack Treutle.

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Trench 94, Hanford Site, Washington, 1994. Hull sections containing defueled reactor compartments of decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines are put in disposal trenches. Once full, the trench will be filled with dirt and buried. The compartments are expected to retain their integrity for more than 600 years.